The Family Business
by lightingpaperlanterns
Summary: Harvey's younger, genius cousin, Julia, is recruited to work at Pearson Hardman as Louis' new associate. When a secretary from her old firm, Reichs and Callaway, shows up in Harvey's office, serving Arthur Reichs with a sexual harassment lawsuit,the real reason that Julia left Reichs and Callaway comes to Harvey's attention, and he becomes more ruthless than he's ever been.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi ****there,  
So this is a new story. I recently joined the Suits fandom, and I have no idea why I didn't do that before. Anyway, my first action when I join a new fandom is generally to write fanfic for it. This is my attempt at a Suits one. My writing's a bit dodgy since I haven't really written in the past year or so, but hopefully it'll get better as I go along. If you have any feedback to help me improve along the way, don't hesitate to let me know through review or personal message.  
- Ashley.**

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_Summary: Harvey's younger, genius cousin, Julia, is recruited to work at Pearson Hardman as Louis' new associate. Quickly making a name for herself as a lawyer with a very high potential, everything seems to be going well for Julia, who also happens to be the youngest lawyer in the US. Until, that is, a secretary from her old firm, Reichs and Callaway, shows up in Harvey's office, serving Arthur Reichs with a sexual harassment lawsuit. When the real reason that Julia left Reichs and Callaway comes to Harvey's attention, he becomes more ruthless than he's ever been._

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**_Chapter One_**

Jessica Pearson stood in her office, looking between the two newest Senior Partners at Pearson Hardman. The two men before her were polar opposites. Harvey Specter leant, relaxed, against the couch, arms crossed as he waited for the conversation to start. Louis Litt, on the other hand, looking as though he had better things to do, tapped his hand impatiently on the foot that was brought up over his knee. He looked around the office impatiently.

"Can you please tell us why we're here before the baby wets the bed?" Harvey asked.

Jessica glared at him. "I need to speak to both of you. You're here only so Louis feels better after the events of yesterday."

"Oh, you mean how Daniel Hardman was voted out of firm because he planted evidence and then asked every Senior Partner to pay a tenth of a grand so I wouldn't get disbarred for it?"

"Do I need to remind you that you came into the office under the influence of drugs, and then later admitted it?"

"You don't need to remind me. Do I need to remind you that if I hadn't come in, Daniel Hardman would still be here, and he'd be in charge? So…"

"Either way, you broke the drug policy. As punishment –"

"If you take away my Senior Partnership after I saved your ass –"

"Calm down, Harvey. Your partnership is safe. But, as punishment, you have to take on thirty pro-bonos. And no pawning them off on Mike. Or any other associate either."

"I wouldn't pawn them off on any other associate either, they wouldn't win."

"You haven't even got them yet!"

"Yeah, but I know that nobody apart from Mike would win them. And besides, Mike's on personal leave."

"You're going to do thirty pro-bonos in a week?" Louis asked.

"I could. I used to do that for breakfast. In a day."

"Okay, can we not go into this, please? Louis, Harvey has his punishment, do you agree with it or not?"

"Fifty pro-bonos," Louis said.

"Agreed," Jessica said. "Harvey, now you know not to break the drug policy."

"What about Mike?" Louis asked. "Isn't he going to get punished?"

"Did he break the drug test policy?"

"Well –"

"Do you have a written or verbal confession or a positive test result?"

"Uh… Not exactly," Louis said.

"Then he's not in breach of the drug policy, and he's not going to be punished," Jessica smiled. "Now, Louis, as for why you're here: as you're aware, Senior Partners get their own associate. You have the option to choose one of the associates you're already in charge of, or you can hire a new one. What would you like to do?"

Louis paused, glancing sideways at Harvey. The tapping on his shoe stopped, and he nodded. "I'd like to hire a new associate, if that's okay."

"Of course it is. I'll line up some interviews for you for Friday."

Julia sat patiently in the foyer of the conference room at the Chilton Hotel in Manhattan. The wallpaper unnerved her. The flowers at every entranceway overwhelmed her. But she pushed all of that to the back of her mind. She needed to ace this interview. She needed an associate job soon because she was failing to survive on her full time job at the grocery store.

"Julia," the lawyer's secretary called out. She was a short, slim woman who wore high heels in an attempt to appear taller, rather than because they looked good. She had short, greying hair and a pinched face, with glasses hanging around her neck.

Julia stood up from her seat amongst the young men around her, who, she realised, were all actually older than her, and walked over to the secretary.

"Louis is ready to see you now," she said. Julia nodded and met Louis in the conference room. He led her over to the table and motioned for her to sit in the seat next to the head of the table. He sat at the head, and he picked up her resume.

"Julia Dunham," he said. "Graduated top of your class at Harvard Law in 2010. Do you know Mitchell Samberg?"

"I don't see how that's relevant."

"It's not. He's my cousin, I was wondering if you knew him."

"Yes, I do," she said.

"Julia, it says here that you, in all, skipped four years of school. Why don't you tell me a little about that?"

She frowned slightly. "I'm gifted," she said. "I uh, wouldn't say genius like most of the people I meet, but I was moved up two years in elementary school. I overloaded units as an undergraduate so I could graduate a year early, and then I overloaded at law school as well."

"Which makes you the youngest lawyer in American history."

"I have a certificate from the Guiness World Records."

"And you worked for Reichs and Callaway. They're only the best law firm in the country. Why did you quit?"

"My mother has some quite severe mental problems. She deteriorated about nine months ago, and I decided to take some time off to take care of her. She's in full time care now, but Reichs and Callaway is too far away from her, and I'd like to work closer so I can see her more often."

She was impressed with the flawless nature with which she told the half-truth. Louis nodded and looked over her letter and resume a few more times. "Julia, I'm not going to lie to you; your application is very impressive. But what I need to understand is why you think I should believe your bullshit."

"I'm sorry?" she asked. "What bullshit?"

"First in your class at Harvard in 2010? Please. You haven't been to any Harvard Club functions, and I know for a fact that you didn't get top of the class. I work with one Michael Ross, and he tells me that _he_ got top of the class."

"Oh, the genius kid," Julia nodded. "Yeah, looks like he should still be in high school." She realised briefly that she didn't exactly look like she was a lawyer yet either. "We got equal first in the class, it just sounds less impressive if you tell people that. I have all my transcripts with me if you don't believe me. And I haven't been to any Harvard Club functions because I've been looking after my mother."

He just smiled. "I'd like to hire you. Your application astounded me, and honestly, you look like the best option. I mean, have you seen the crop of Harvard graduates out there? They're getting less lawyer looking every year."

"You're offering me a job, right now?"

"Yes," Louis said. "It would be my honour to have you as my associate."

She nodded. "Well in that case, I will accept."

"Great," Louis beamed. "Can you start on Tuesday?"

Jessica knocked on the door to Harvey's office, which he'd reclaimed as soon as Daniel Hardman had been kicked out of the firm. He motioned for her to come in and leaned back in his chair.

"What can I do for you, Miss Pearson?" he asked.

"Louis has hired a new associate," she said. "Now that he's made a decision, I thought I'd take this opportunity to ask you a favour."

"And what might that be?" he asked.

"Don't try and influence her," she said. "She sounds like a smart girl, but she's young, and as such, she's impressionable. I don't want you to pit her against Louis. If that's what she ends up doing, let it be of her own accord."

"Okay," Harvey said. "What's her name so I can be sure to leave her alone?"

"Julia Dunham."

"Woah, what? Julia is Louis' associate?"

"You know her?" Jessica asked.

"That's a bit of an understatement?"

"Did you sleep with her once?" For once Jessica didn't seem annoyed with his bachelor ways.

"Oh, I'm going to pretend I did not overhear that," Donna said from the door. "Julia – oh god. Trust me, Jessica, they've never slept together."

"Julia Dunham is my cousin," Harvey told her. "She graduated top of her year at Harvard and got a job at Reichs and Callaway. Why she's demoting herself to here, I have no idea."

"You can ask her yourself," Donna said. "She's on the phone for you. Well, either of us really, but seeing as how you're the one who started it, you can be the one to tell her about Ross."

"How does she know about Ross?" Jessica asked.

"Louis mentioned him to her at her interview."

"You tell her about Ross –"

"She's going to find out anyway," Harvey said. "They were in the same year at Harvard Law. According to Mike's transcript, anyway. Don't worry, she'll keep her mouth shut."

"She better. But I still need you to do me that favour."

"Count on it," Harvey grinned as she left his office. "What line is she on?"

"Four."

"Thank you, Donna."


	2. Chapter 2

The new associate sat in her cubicle in the fiftieth floor bullpen, typing notes diligently on her computer. The Sagimal case was the first case she'd been assigned to yesterday morning when she'd arrived for her first day of work, and she wanted to make a good impression. She was up to the last page when a shadow loomed over the desk.

She looked up to see who it was. Upon discovering it was Harvey, she put her head down again and continued typing.

"You must be new. Welcome to Pearson Hardman. I'm Harvey Specter."

She raised her glance to him again.

"See," he said, leaning down so that nobody could hear what he was about to say, "Jessica Pearson has asked me to pretend that we don't know each other. I realise this is going to be difficult, but do your best, okay?"

"It might be difficult for you, but it won't be for me. Why does she not want Louis knowing we're related?" she asked.

He smiled. "You even see through all my bullshit," he said. "Louis hates me, and if he knows that you're my cousin, he's going to hate you too. And trust me, you do not want to be an associate that Louis hates."

"Okay. Now what are you really doing at my desk?"

"The kid that sits across from you, is he in today?"

"Haven't seen him," Julia shrugged. "It's Mike Ross, isn't it?"

"Damn. I have some briefs I want him to go over."

"Why do you want him to go over them?"

"Because he's my associate."

"No, I mean, why _him_ specifically. Why not some other associate?"

"The kid's got an eye for detail almost as good as yours," Harvey said. "Don't tell him I said that though, he'll get jealous. Anyway, I thought you might like this." He presented her with a case file, a very thin one, and smiled.

"What's this?"

"A case," he said. "Admittedly it is pro-bono. But this one's easy, so I thought you might want it instead."

Louis entered the bullpen and spotted Julia looking through the case. Marching over, he huffed in some air to make his chest look bigger. "What are you doing here, Harvey?" he asked.

"Redistributing work," he smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. It reminded Julia of an 'oh-shit' sort of smile. She tried not to smirk.

"Julia, is that a pro-bono case?"

"It might be," she shrugged. He glared at her. "Yes, it is."

"Harvey, what were the conditions of your policy breach?"

"Do we really need to talk about this in front of the kids?" He motioned with his head to indicate he was talking about all the associates.

Louis nodded. Julia raised her eyebrow. Policy breach? Which policy?

"I do fifty pro-bono cases, no pawning them off on the associates."

"In that case, Harvey Specter, you can shove this up your –"

"No, Julia, I want you to take the case," Louis said. "Getting offered a case on your second day. I mean wow. Nobody here got a chance like that."

"No, that's wrong, I pawned a pro-bono off onto Mike on his first day."

"Oh, so it's a recurring theme?" Julia asked. "I don't want the case, Louis. It's unwinnable; a bullshit lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company because their father was involved in a clinical trial were he didn't receive the treatment."

"Just meet with the client," Harvey told her. "You might be surprised."

"Oh, my condition for you pawning this one off on my associate," Louis added to Harvey, "is that you take fifty extra. Which would bring your total pro-bonos up to one hundred."

He bit his lower lip to keep from swearing. "Fine," he choked out. "Julia, if you need any help on that case, I'll be in my office."

"Like I know where that is," she muttered as he left.

"Julia, have you finished the notes on Sagimal?"

She sighed. "I'm up to my last page."

"Save it and send it to Harold. He'll finish them off. You've got a case to look at."

Julia sighed and did what he said. When he was satisfied, he walked out of the bullpen and leaned back in her chair. She could tell already that there was a power struggle between Louis and Harvey, and she wasn't very happy that she'd already been instituted into the middle of it. She arced up a search engine on her internet browser when she noticed somebody sit down in the cubicle across from her. She quickly logged off her system and stood in front of him.

"Are you Mike Ross?" she asked him.

"Why do you ask?" he said.

"Harvey Specter's looking for you," Julia said. "If you're Mike Ross, that is. He said he'd be in his office. I'll go with you, if you like. I need to ask him a question and I don't actually know where his office is. It's only my second day."

Mike left his bag in the bottom drawer of his desk and led the way out of the bullpen. Julia grabbed the case file off of her desk and followed him. Donna looked up when they approached but looked back down at her screen when she saw who it was. Harvey was standing in front of his record collection.

"The Rolling Stones or The Beatles?" Harvey asked as they walked in. He didn't turn around.

"What you're thinking of or what you should listen to?" Mike asked.

"What I'm thinking of," he said.

"The Rolling Stones," Julia replied, at the same time that Mike answered, "The Beatles."

"Oh, Julia. You're here too." He turned to face them and smiled, but his face fell when he realised what she wanted. "You want to know the truth about Mike."

"You were being a dick over the phone and I think you owe me an explanation, so yes," she said. "I do have to lie to Louis about it, I'd like to know why I'm doing it."

"Close the door," he said. She did as he said. Harvey sat in the chair behind his desk while the two associates stood across from him, side by side.

"Where should I start?" Harvey asked her.

"How about you start with why you hired an associate that doesn't have a law degree and hasn't passed the bar?"

"How does she know about that?"

"He has passed the bar, he's just never been to law school. As for why I hired him: he's a genius, like I said before, almost as good as you. He's got an amazing eye for detail and he's actually one of the better lawyers in this place. He's never lost a case, but he did lose in housing court. I was so ashamed, I should have fired him on the spot."

"How do you lose in housing court?" Julia asked him.

"Vivian Tanaka," Harvey said.

"Oh. Still."

"Are you two done?" Mike asked, annoyed. "Who is this anyway?" He addressed his question to Harvey. "How does she know I didn't go to Harvard?"

"Mike, this is Julia Dunham. She knows you didn't go to Harvard because she graduated from Harvard Law in 2010, and surprisingly enough, she doesn't recall seeing you at the ceremony. I never thought it would be problematic, but it's really all your fault. Is that okay with both of you?"

Julia nodded and went to leave the office. "Oh, before I go - which company policy did you break?"

"Confidential information, I don't have to tell you."

"That's okay, I'll just ask Louis."

"Don't - don't do that. I'll tell you on one condition. You have to promise to not get angry at me."

"Oh, who am I, your mother?" she asked. She knew it was a bad idea as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Harvey's jaw locked shut, and his nostrils flared slightly. She tried her best to backtrack. "Shit. Uh, bad choice of words. Sorry."

"Get out of my office, Julia," he snapped. She did as he said, closing the door behind her.

Donna hung up the phone and raised her eyebrow at her when she walked past.

"What?" Julia asked.

"His mother, really?" she asked. "I don't think he wants to think about you sleeping around, Jules."

"He sleeps around," Julia protested. "All the time."

"Yes, but for all intents and purposes, you're like his little sister, the one that he never had. He's protective of you, and he doesn't like to think about people taking advantage of you. And I know sleeping around isn't the same thing, but men don't think like that. Just… don't give him anything that will make him look at you that way, alright?"

Julia nodded. "Thanks for the advice, Donna."

"You're welcome, kiddo," she beamed. "Now get to work. You have to go tip that lawsuit down the toilet."

It was three o'clock that same afternoon when Julia noticed Mike Ross looking at her over the cubicle walls. Every few minutes, he'd type something into his keyboard and scroll through pages and click on links, and then he'd look over at her once more. Suspicious, she waited until he looked at her, and then she got out of her seat, crept over to the other side without him noticing, and popped up behind him. She frowned.

"Are you googling me, Mike?" she asked him.

"I, uh…" He fumbled around shutting windows and turned around to face her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Typing my name into Google will not tell you how Harvey and I know each other," she told him. He opened his mouth to speak and she cut him off. "And please, do not ask me if we slept together I just… eww, I don't need to think about that."

"That's okay, I'll just ask Donna," Mike said.

"Which would be a good idea if she were going to tell you anything, which she's not. It's a closely guarded secret."

"You know, I've known you for about six hours, and I already don't like you," he said. "Just so we're clear."

"That's a shame," Julia told him, "because I'm actually very likeable. And," she whispered, getting very close to his ear so nobody else could hear her, "I'm the only associate here that can say for sure that you've attended Harvard Law."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, confused.

"No, I'm just saying you should give me a chance. You actually don't know me at all. We've had one conversation, and you've already passed a judgement on my character? Either you're very good at reading people, which I doubt because otherwise you'd know the answer you're seeking, or you're very distrustful, which is more likely because of your current circumstance."

Mike sighed. "If you tell me how you know him, I'll tell you what policy he broke," he bartered.

"Bargaining," she said. "See, that's not going to work either, because Louis already told me. He was high last week, and then he refused a drug test and admitted in front of all the Senior Partners. Louis also told me that Harvey was with you at the time, and seeing as how Harvey's done drugs probably only twice before in his life, I'm going to guess that you were high as well, otherwise why would he have done it, right? It also explains why he told me I wasn't allowed to be angry... Why were you at the office while you were both high, anyway?"

Mike bit his lower lip. "That's none of your business."

"Exactly," Julia smiled. "This is how it's going to work: don't pry into my personal business, and I won't pry into yours. I'd like to be friends. Harvey thinks very highly of you, so you can't be that bad."

She stood up and walked out of the bullpen to get some coffee.


End file.
